Queen of Katwe’s gambit nonetheless in play for Uganda’s slum chess avid gamers by way of NewsFlicks

A well-known chess membership in a slum of Uganda’s capital that become the focal point of the Hollywood film Queen of Katwe continues to be generating champions – however faces a day by day fight to live on.

Run by way of chess trainer Robert Katende, performed by way of actor David Oyelowo within the Disney movie launched in 2016, he nonetheless believes that in spite of monetary struggles he’s managing to modify kids’s lives for the easier thru chess.

“We use chess as a instructing device. To spot the possibility of the newcomers and information them to their future,” Mr Katende instructed the BBC on a consult with to his SomChess Academy in Katwe, a deficient neighbourhood of Kampala.

In a while after graduating as a civil engineer, he first started volunteering in Katwe as a soccer trainer prior to settling on chess – beginning up with a unmarried chessboard in 2004 and a resolution to lend a hand.

Inside a yr nine-year-old Phiona Mutesi, who had dropped out of faculty, joined up – and went directly to turn into a chess prodigy.

She took the name of nationwide girls’s junior champion thrice, competed in different prestigious global chess Olympiads and by way of the age of 16 was once given the name Lady Candidate Grasp by way of the Global Chess Federation.

It was once her exceptional tale that was once instructed within the movie, with Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o taking part in her mom.

Mr Katende says her good fortune got here from resilience and resolution – and presentations the in point of fact transformative energy of chess.

She additionally is still an inspiration for lots of of Mr Katende’s avid gamers, together with 18-year-old Patricia Kawuma.

“With the exception of profitable faculty scholarships, this recreation has taught me learn how to strategise and plan forward, and it instils self-discipline and endurance,” the two-time nationwide junior chess champion instructed the BBC.

She has additionally represented Uganda in two global tournaments and has earned cash by way of profitable chess competitions.

Prize cash and sponsorships have enabled her to pay for her personal faculty charges in addition to the ones of her siblings.

Mr Katende says greater than 4,000 kids have long past thru his programmes during the last 20 years, with a few of them finishing up changing into docs, engineers and attorneys.

His giant spice up got here after a guide printed in 2012 by way of journalist Tim Crothers about Ms Mutesi stuck the attention of Disney.

When the movie corporate determined to head forward and make the guide into a film, it gave him a one-time grant of $50,000 (£36,000).

This allowed him purchase a assets in Katwe to headquarter his academy and from the place he additionally runs the Robert Katende Initiative.

He was once ready to increase his chess membership from Katwe to periods inside Ugandan prisons – and to slums in neighbouring Kenya and Rwanda, and the ones in nations so far as Angola, Botswana, Cameroon and Malawi.

Lately, greater than 2,500 kids and about 800 inmates are in his programmes, which lend a hand them to expand and make important choices, he says.

“Chess is a metaphor for lifestyles. There are demanding situations and surprises in all places however in case you glance carefully you’ll be able to to find alternatives, you’ll be able to to find your approach thru,” the 43-year-old instructed me.

“A foul transfer in chess manner you are going to lose, simply the similar with lifestyles.”

There’s one transfer the trainer, who labored at the Queen of Katwe movie as a senior tale advisor and who educated the actors of their chess scenes, didn’t expect.

The Walt Disney Corporate made a loss at the movie – and this has had repercussions for his burgeoning chess tasks.

He, Ms Mutesi and the chess champion’s mom have been promised a large proportion of any Disney earnings – 67%, he says.

However he was once instructed by way of the company that when making an investment about $15m (£11m) into the drama, directed by way of Mira Nair, it had most effective made again $10m.

“The loss put me in a foul spot as a result of folks assume that I’ve hidden some cash,” Mr Katende stated.

“Many of us assume I am a rich Hollywood chess trainer after the movie however the laborious fact is that we’re but to have the benefit of its earnings.”

Alternatively, he says he isn’t sour because the movie publicised his chess programmes, attracting each native and global companions.

“If Disney had now not achieved the movie, we would not be the place we’re; I don’t believe we’d be identified – and plenty of people have come on board to beef up our philosophy,” he stated.

Ms Mutesi’s popularity helped her win a scholarship to Northwest College in america in 2017 and he or she now works in Canada as a trade analyst and is in a position to beef up her mom, who has moved again to their house village outdoor Kampala.

However Mr Katende’s undertaking faces massive monetary demanding situations as maximum of his companions have fallen off for the reason that coronavirus pandemic.

“We needed to scale down operations and shut down some coaching centres. Ahead of Covid I had 14 team of workers, however now we’ve 8. I concern we may let cross of extra team of workers because of monetary constraints,” he stated.

1000’s of his avid gamers in Uganda must scramble for most effective 120 chess forums because of a loss of price range.

Uganda’s present junior chess champion, 19-year-old Jovan Kasozi – one among Mr Katende’s protégés – has additionally been hit.

The Katende chess initiative can pay against his training and {the teenager} has been ready to now and again crowdfund from some smartly wishers for additonal chess coaching periods – however ultimate yr he neglected out a global match as a result of he may just now not carry $400 for his air price tag.

“However I am not giving up on chess, the sport stimulates my thoughts and it has made me to be superb at arithmetic. It makes me assume like a pc,” the younger guy instructed the BBC.

Mr Katunde is similarly upbeat, announcing that it’s going to smartly be an extended recreation in the case of Disney.

“Expectantly they’ll achieve out to me in the event that they damage even,” he stated, including that then the earnings may just get started coming in.